Perspectives
by Chiara Crawford
Summary: It’s the little things that put so much into perspective.
1. Chapter 1

Title It's the Little Things

By Chiara Crawford

RATING: PG

WARNINGS: None

CATEGORY: Introspective

PAIRING: Slight S/J later perhaps

SPOILERS: Nothing in particular. Set early season nine. And NO ORI.

SUMMARY: It's the little things that put so much into perspective.

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions.

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**Chapter One**

Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell was living a dream. After fighting so long to get onto SG-1, he was finally not only a part of it but also leading the team. Since first hearing about the various exploits of the SGC and in particular SG-1, he had dreamed about getting into the same adventures, while saving Earth and escaping the bad guys at the last minute. Now he was here and SG-1 was bound to save Earth – it was statistically proven that they did do that at least once a year – and he should have been happy.

It should have been perfect.

It wasn't.

Cameron thought of himself as a good guy. Sure, he was mostly a by the book officer but he had humor and he was motivated to do his best. General Landry seemed to like him and his teammates were friendly enough. Everyone at the SGC was nice and welcoming and he couldn't complain about anything.

He should have been happy.

He wasn't.

It's the little things that made him aware of the reason why. It was not something overt or even intentionally malicious. Maybe some of them didn't even know that they did it, but do it they did.

The first time he saw it was shortly after he came to the SGC. Many people, from kitchen staff to nurses to SFs to SG teams, gave him strange looks. Some were of well concealed pity, while others ranged from amusement to anger. Everyone with whom he spoke was friendly, true, but none of those people lost these emotions, when talking to him. He didn't know why they did it and it was not until he had reunited three of the four original SG-1 team members under him that he began to have an inkling as to why.

Cameron was aware that all three didn't really want to be there.

Doctor Daniel Jackson was about to go to Atlantis, when he had missed the Daedalus due to the space thief Vala, who had practically handcuffed the archaeologist to her and dragged Daniel, him and the other two former SG-1 members onto a ridiculous quest that ended with them in an old tomb with neither gold, nor technology or other riches. It had been a waste of time.

Teal'c and Colonel Carter would have disappeared again to Area 51 and Dakara, respectively, if there had not been rumors of another dangerous Goa'uld with powerful technology and the ambition to conquer the galaxy. Both of them along with Jackson were not pleased, indeed.

It was decided that they would be SG-1 with him as team leader.

They could have accepted him.

They didn't.

Perhaps it wasn't even consciously. All of them were polite and friendly with him. They spoke about some past missions, laughed and joked but he couldn't help the feeling that something was missing.

It was only when General O'Neill decided to visit his old hounds and get together with his old team that he saw what was not there.

It was morning and he had walked into the mess hall. Carter, Jackson and Teal'c were eating there almost every morning, instead of having breakfast at home. This was such a normal morning, except for one thing. General O'Neill was sitting with them, laughing and joking.

It shouldn't have been different.

It was.

In a split second of brilliant understanding everything that had bothered him since assuming the role of commander of SG-1 slid into place. The reason why all the looks on the whole base were either amusement or pity, when directed at him. Why, when he made a decision in the field, he saw Daniel and Teal'c look covertly at Sam to see her approval or disapproval. Why sometimes all three looked at him like at an indulging child. The reason why the angry whispers that fell silent when he neared but which he still heard - about Colonel Carter not getting her rightful command - followed him always. Why he couldn't laugh and joke with the rest of SG-1 freely.

It should have been obvious from the beginning. He had simply deluded himself into believing a dream that he wanted too much.

He was a usurper and they didn't trust him to watch their back or let him in.

He wasn't the SG-1 leader.

He was neither Jack O'Neill nor Samantha Carter.

It shouldn't have hurt.

It did.

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Author's Note: The first of my little ficlets. What do you think? I never truly liked seasons nine and ten as much as the previous seasons. Another thing that bugged me a lot was that they made Mitchell commander of SG-1, when Sam not only had seniority but also eight years more experience and qualifications to do the job. Come one, what qualifications did he have? He was simply a pilot - a good one, true – that had never even been on an SG team or had other combat experience. Making him leader was just stupid and I don't think that the whole base would have simply let this go. Cam is not a bad character but awfully impulsive, running straight into danger without thinking, and not really leader material. Sorry for the little rant.


	2. Chapter 2

SUMMARY: A little acknowledgement goes a long way.

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions.

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**Chapter Two**

He hadn't known what he had agreed to, Major General Hank Landry thought. When he first heard about the SGC, snakes that could possess you and not to mention someone being dumb enough to make Jack O'Neill a General, he didn't believe it. It took a long time and many hours of going through mission reports until he didn't think of it as a joke.

When he first stepped out of the elevator on level twenty-eight and Walter pressed a cup of coffee into his hand, he didn't know what to expect. Of course, he had read many mission reports of SG teams, spoke briefly with his old friend Jack about the SGC, but it still didn't prepare him for the reality that was the stargate.

The first thing he realized was that the people of the SGC were damned good at their jobs. He saw it in Walter and his efficiency, in Siler the problem solver. Hell! He even saw it in the kitchen staff! These people knew that what they did was important and also how to get the job done.

On previous bases he always had to do something to straighten one of his problem children out. Here he didn't have that. He couldn't even yell at anybody because there was nothing to yell about!

It was a tribute to the previous base commanders that the change in leadership was taken so calmly. The efficiency of the base hadn't suffered. Every person he met was courteous and welcoming with him. Still, he felt that they all were slightly uncomfortable with his presence.

He had followed into the footsteps of two great men, who were spoken of with awe and respect on the base. These conversations didn't happen with him near, but he had his methods to hear and see what was going on.

Lieutenant General George Hammond. He had met the man twice and had liked him. George Hammond had seemed to be a good man and he spoke with obvious affection of his people at the SGC. Hank's respect for him rose even further, the more he spent reading about the various almost-catastrophes on the base. To fight a war for seven years, against alien foes with superior technology required the courage of a lion and the level headedness of a sage.

Major General Jack O'Neill was the one he was succeeding. While Hammond was spoken of with respect and deep affection, O'Neill was regarded as a hero. When speaking of him, the SGC personnel got that look in their eyes, as if they would follow him into hell and back, if he only asked. And apparently SG-1 had done exactly that once.

Most of the stories he heard sounded unbelievable and incredible but that was apparently the norm here. Hank wasn't sure how to lead a base that not only functioned by itself but also had radically different people as commanders in the past. His normal approach to the situation wouldn't be good, partly because this was not only a military base but also because nothing at the SGC was normal.

It was in the first week that Hank Landry realized what uphill battle he would have to fight. Although they followed his orders, these people still didn't trust him. He was fully aware that if there were problems, the person went either to their team commander or to one of the remaining SG-1 members.

Hank was the base commander, true, but the personal problems were always brought to the attention of Teal'c, Dr. Jackson or Colonel Carter. They, apparently, too shared the hero worship bestowed upon Jack O'Neill by the SGC. It was also one of the reasons people were vary of him. After Colonel Carter returned from Area 51 – and she was not in the least happy to do so – he hadn't given her the command of SG-1, instead leaving it in the hands of Cameron Mitchell. She had acknowledged it with the calm of an experienced soldier but he had seen the faint glimmer of dismay in her ocean blue eyes. He knew that this decision was not received well by anyone on base. Many considered Carter to be the successor of O'Neill and knowing Jack as he did, Hank could also see some of the typical O'Neillisms in Carter. Somehow, over the last eight years Samantha Carter had not only adapted the infamous O'Neill sarcasm to her inherent wit but also absorbed a part of the devil-may-care attitude of Jack.

This all accumulated into a situation where he knew about the official life of the SGC and was respected as its commanding officer but not truly trusted or let in on the secrets, the personal things, of the base. He had spoken of the problem with Jack and his friend had promised to help out. If a commander didn't know everything about his base, then he couldn't be truly efficient in his job. Especially here, trust was paramount to the success of an operation and if his people couldn't trust him, doubted him even a little, then that success was compromised.

So it was with hope that he shook the hand of his long time friend Jack, as the head of Homeworld Security walked into his office in the SGC. Instead of wearing his uniform, which Hank knew he hated, Jack was in his favorite green BDUs and black t-shirt. His silver hair was unruly and a grin was on his face. Here and now he looked younger than the last time Hank saw his friend. Something had obviously changed after he left the SGC. And if the rumors were true, then he knew what it was.

"So you said that you could help me?" Hank got swiftly to the point.

Jack nodded.

"Today, young grasshopper, show you the secrets of Stargate Command, I will. Learn, you must!"

The statement gained him a raised eyebrow.

"Star Wars, Jack?" Hank asked dryly.

The general grinned.

"Blame Teal'c." He answered. It was clear that this response should explain everything and strangely enough, it did. Though the fact that an alien was a fan of Star Wars surprised him, he thought that it shouldn't have.

With that both walked out of the office, Jack leading and stopping from time to time to exchange a few words with passing soldiers or scientists. All of them smiled at him, pleased to see him. This, Hank decided, was what he wanted. To be trusted by the people now under his command.

They stepped into the elevator and Jack pressed the button for level twelve.

"Where are we going?" As far as he knew, there were not a lot of things on level twelve. All of the labs were deeper inside the mountain. Level twelve was a level of storage units and supply rooms.

"You'll see." Was the mysterious answer.

They exited the elevator and walked through the twisting corridors of level twelve. There were far fewer people here than in the lower levels but still more than there should be, as this level was not used much. Hank recognized quite a few members of SG teams, who nodded respectfully at Jack and eyed Hank with curiosity. Whatever was going on here was turning out to be interesting.

Finally, they arrived at a nondescript door. Had Jack not stopped, the new commander of the SGC would never have paid any attention to it. Entering the large room, Hank gasped. It was one of the biggest rooms he had yet seen in the SGC. A golden carpet went from the entrance to a raised platform at the end of the hall. Brilliant blue banners with a silver SGC crest hung from the walls. On each side of the carpet the SG teams, all dressed in the same green BDUs as Jack, stood. Wide-eyed Hank followed Jack, who walked to the end of the hall and stood against a wall, not far from the raised platform.

"Jack?" Hank questioned again.

This time his friend turned to him, his eyes serious but strangely proud, as he answered.

"You remember a report that crossed your desk a week ago? About Lieutenant Jennifer Hailey?"

He remembered, all right. Lieutenant Hailey was a member of SG-16 and was hailed as the second coming of Samantha Carter. She was brilliant and it was that brilliance, which allowed her to save not only her team but also a large gathering of Jaffa on Dakara. SG-16 was on a diplomatic mission to further the talks with the Free Jaffa Nation, when a complicated Naquadria bomb was discovered. Apparently, one of the System Lords – several people thought it was Ba'al - wanted to disrupt the treaty talks and seed mistrust between the two allies. Had Lieutenant Hailey not discovered and disarmed the bomb, the consequences would have been disastrous not only for the lives lost but also for the alliance. Unfortunately, she was injured while saving them by a Jaffa loyal to the System Lord. It was luck and experience that saved her life but she would be forever scarred because the wound on her back was one made with a poisonous knife. Hank knew that she was considered for a medal by the higher ups but it was difficult to give out medals, when one couldn't disclose why and where the courageous action happened.

"So you remember." Jack nodded in satisfaction. "This is something we now call Sin'at. Teal'c came up with the name and it somehow stuck. It translates roughly into something like `to honor the warrior`." Before he managed to explain anything else, the room fell into silence. All SG teams straightened and faced the door, where the young woman Hank recognized as Lieutenant Hailey stood. She was still pale, the stress lines on her face too many for one so young. When she began to move down the golden carpet, it was not fluently but stiffly. Clearly her injuries bothered her. Finally, she ascended the platform and stopped, her feet planted apart, in parade rest.

For the first time Landry looked at the people on the platform, recognizing the remaining members of SG-16 and the three original members of SG-1. Mitchell was not there but then Hank remembered that he was on leave to visit his ill mother.

Carter stepped forward, addressing the crowd.

"We are here today to recognize and honor the actions of one amongst us. Through her actions, Lieutenant Jennifer Hailey not only saved the lives of her team but also many of the Jaffa. It is with pride that the SG team leaders present to you the Sin'at of Courage. You embody all we at Stargate Command believe in and strive to be." She paused before she suddenly called: "Attention!" And the people in the hall snapped to, soldiers and civilians alike.

Carter opened a small box, which was given to her by Teal'c, and presented it to the commander of SG-16. He took the gleaming triangle on a chain and slipped it over Hailey's head, who smiled at him. Even from here Hank could see that it was the stargate symbol for earth with a beautiful blue stone as the sun. The medal gleamed faintly in the light.

With a grin Hailey turned around and the hall exploded into applause. Whistles were heard from all over the room and the faces of the people were filled with pride. When it was all over, they began to surround her, congratulating her.

"The Sin'at is tradition at the SGC." Jack began talking as if he had never stopped. "In the first years of the program we had many people deserving recognition for their bravery and actions but, unfortunately, it is not easy to give medals to men and women, who fight a war the world knows nothing about."

"So you invented this?"

"Every SG team leader votes for or against giving the Sin'at. In the end it is the team leaders who decide if a person gets it or not. Official medals are good things to have but this…This is something else. You have to understand, Hank, that the war we are fighting is not over. There are still enemies out there that would like nothing more than kill every single Tau'ri. This base is the primary defense of this planet and nobody can really openly acknowledge it because everything is classified. Receiving the Sin'at, getting acknowledgement from their peers, is sometimes the only way to honor those who fight to keep Earth safe. That is true, especially, when the government cannot give recognition to someone fighting a secret war. The first thing you have to understand, Hank, if you want to gain the trust of my people, is that due to the secrecy of our command, we are more closely bonded than any other bases you ever served on. The SGC is a family, a tight-knit family. We are not reluctant to welcome new members but it takes time to trust someone who has not been fighting so long in this war. Respect them and they will respect you."

"Is this why you brought me here?"

Jack smiled at him.

"A little recognition goes a long way. You are the commander of these people. They will have to trust you in order to be effective but you first have to learn what it means to be on the frontline of a galactic war."

"Is that your advice?"

"Trust your people, Hank. They are a courageous lot and will not let you down."

And perhaps that was all the reassurance that Hank needed. He still didn't know exactly why he had accepted the post of commander of the base but maybe now he understood the people working here better. They weren't only good at what they did but they also put all their souls and their whole being into the SGC. Many were not acknowledged as what they truly were: heroes. Sometimes they only had the acknowledgement of their peers. As he looked on at the merry band of soldiers and civilians and the ecstatic young Lieutenant Hailey, who had eyes that looked older than they should, he decided that he would do whatever he could to be a worthy leader like those that came before him. The SGC was worth it, after all.

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Author's Note: So that's the second piece of Perspectives. I always thought that commanding a base like the SGC would have been different than anything Landry ever did before. Hammond and Jack had been there from the beginning, so they were in a different position than Landry and Weir was only there for some weeks. The only other experience the SGC had with another leadership was with Bauer and we all know how that turned out. So would they have welcomed Landry with open arms? I doubt it. This is my answer to that. I hope you enjoyed it. What do you think?


	3. Chapter 3

SUMMARY: To be forgotten is the worst possible fate.

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions.

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**Chapter Three**

Carolyn Lam was bone-tired. As a doctor she had known that her job would be difficult and that tiredness was usual, if not even expected in her profession. But, Carolyn realized, she had not known what it meant to be truly bone-tired. Working at the SGC had given her a new perspective on the matter of exhaustion. Practically everyone on base was in one way or another overworked. From the gate technicians to the SG teams, this job demanded from people one-hundred-and-ten percent. And sometimes even that wasn't enough.

It had not been enough for the young Lieutenant Adams from SG-13. She had done her utmost but nothing had been able to help the young man. SG-13 had been on a recon mission into the territory of the new mysterious Goa'uld that had suddenly appeared after the defeat of Anubis and the Replicators last year. Rumors of huge armies and superior technology had circled through the worlds of the Milky Way Galaxy. Some Tok'ra spies had given information that indicated that P3X-782930 was one of his research bases and it had been a vital and important task to get more information on their new enemy. Unfortunately, the complex had had better security than anticipated and SG-13 almost didn't make it through the gate. With a staff blast to the stomach, Lieutenant Adams had only lived an hour before he had succumbed to his injuries.

She was a doctor; she had always known that it was inevitable that she would lose a patient here. No matter how peaceful it looked, the SGC was at the frontline of a galactic war that had cost more in terms of lost lives than even Iraq or Afghanistan. The people here fought not against other soldiers, whose intentions and motivations they could discern and understand, but against megalomaniac alien monsters, which would rather enslave them or take them as hosts. It was a frightening prospect and she was not ashamed to admit that even thinking about it gave her a chilling feeling.

With an exhausted sigh, she finally walked out of the infirmary, away from the death that haunted it and towards the mess hall. It was late, she knew, but hopefully there was something sugary and some coffee left. Arriving swiftly, she headed over to the dessert section, taking a piece of cake and a cup of coffee before sitting down at a table in one of the corners of the hall. The commissary was almost empty at this time of day and those few that were present were lost in their own thoughts.

Sipping her watery coffee, she took a piece of cake into her mouth, letting the sugary treat overwhelm all of her taste buds. This was what she had needed, Carolyn decided. The sugar was boosting her energy reserves and she almost felt normal for the first time in hours.

"Good cake?" A voice said from above her, prompting her to open the eyes that had closed when she had taken the cake into her mouth. The warm smiling blue eyes of Dr. Daniel Jackson stared at her. He seemed relaxed and had a cup of coffee in one hand and a plate of cake in another. "After having Jack complaining about there being no cake in the midnight hours here, the kitchen staff has taken great care in always providing some. Apparently it's easier than having to deal with him."

It took only a moment before Carolyn realized that he had meant General O'Neill.

"You mind me sitting with you?" The archaeologist asked softly. His tone was compassionate and somehow Carolyn had the feeling that he knew about their recent loss of Lieutenant Adams. She agreed readily and he sat down, quickly taking a few gulps of coffee before turning to his piece of cake.

She had heard all about the infamous SG-1, of course. Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter, Teal'c and Daniel Jackson were something of a living legend in the SGC. The stories some of her nurses had been telling her were ranging from the hilarious to the impossible. The whole original team was widely respected on base. Many had told her that now that General O'Neill was in D.C. the original team was on its way to disband, when the new Goa'uld had appeared. Then her father came and SG-1 minus O'Neill was ordered to remain with the SGC under leadership of a Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell. There were many people who didn't like that arrangement and she often heard not very flattering whispers about the unfairness of it all. At least, Carolyn thought, I'm not the only one who has a problem with my father.

She had not often come into contact with SG-1. On most days they tried to get out of the infirmary as fast as they could. Their dislike of her working space was apparently also legendary in the SGC. Still, Dr. Daniel Jackson had seemed like a gentle, compassionate and attractive man and she didn't mind his company.

The aroma of his coffee drifted over to her, making her inhale and then sigh out loud. It was a lot stronger than her watered down version and it smelled delicious. The archaeologist sent her an amused look, clearly interpreting her actions correctly as he pushed his cup to her.

"Go on. I can get more in my office. The only coffee worth having is either in my office, the control room or in Sam's lab. Anywhere else is just brown water." He smirked as she sighed loudly, when she took a gulp from the heavenly brew.

"A long day?" He questioned compassionately.

She nodded slowly.

"Yes. And an exhausting day." Her face grew grim. "We lost someone today. Lieutenant Adams."

His eyes darkened and he reached over and gently squeezed her hand.

"It's always difficult to lose someone, especially when you're doing everything in your power to save them." Personal knowledge seeped into his words and she was grateful for them. Though, it still didn't distract her from the fact that she failed the young man who was now finding his home in their morgue.

"I failed him." She repeated out loud, not even knowing why she was telling all these things to someone who was virtually a stranger.

"You did your best."

"It was not enough." Bitterness swept over her words, making them resonate with the pain she was feeling.

Suddenly he stood up and stretched out a hand to her. His eyes were filled with a quiet strength and he seemed determined.

"Come with me, Doctor Lam."

"Call me Carolyn." She corrected him. "And why?"

"Daniel." He gave her permission to use his first name. "And because I think that you should see something."

With these words he took her hand and began to lead her through the mostly deserted corridors of the base. Even now, in the witching hour, the SGC seemed alive; though this life was muted and quiet. There were no emergencies or apocalypses to prepare for or solve. The frontline was peaceful and she was glad for that.

When they finally arrived in one corner of level twenty-eight, far away from the control room or the stargate, she began to wonder what he wanted to show her. As a doctor, level twenty-eight was only insofar familiar to her, as she was needed to assess the various injured SG team members that couldn't be immediately transported to the infirmary on level twenty-one. For the level with the highest security, level twenty-eight was almost deserted in this part. It was strange, she mused, that she didn't see anyone here.

Daniel opened a normal looking door and motioned her to follow him. A gasp escaped her at what she found, eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Janet," he coughed, suddenly uncomfortable, "Doctor Janet Fraiser, that is, the previous CMO, often came here after one of the more difficult cases she had or when she lost someone. I believe it reminded her for what and whom she was fighting."

"What is this place?" Carolyn whispered in awe. Behind the nondescript door was a huge circular room. The walls seemed to be made of some kind of crystal, reflecting the light of many hundreds of little round orbs that were somehow attached to them. In the darkened room, they seemed like fireflies, beautiful and at the same time fragile. Green ivy traveled between the orbs and breathtaking flowers bloomed everywhere on the walls, their colors ranging from the purest of whites to stargate blue or blood red. Sometimes, the plants gave way to cascades of water, which were falling from high above into little pools of clear water with a large stone in the middle of each one. But all of that somehow paled in comparison to what was in the middle of the room. A big, high black obelisk reached almost to the ceiling of the room and burning in it with a blazing fire was the stargate address for Earth.

"When we first went on that mission to Abydos so many years ago, we didn't know about the Goa'uld or the dangers of the galaxy. In many ways we were innocent children, thrust into an unforgiving universe." The archaeologist sighed. He seemed tired and worn. Perhaps, Carolyn thought, he had been fighting this fight too long.

"We met Ra and we defeated him, thinking we were safe from the threats that were presented by the stargate. It was not so and one year later our war with the Goa'uld began. And it was a war that demanded payment." His eyes were dark and pained, as he glanced around the room. "In the first year so many of us fell. Did you know that except SG-1, only two other teams are still without casualties?" He shook his head, grimacing bitterly.

"In the first few years this room was a little store room, not truly needed for anything important. Somehow – and we don't know who began this thing – name plates of the fallen began to appear in this empty room."

And suddenly the purpose of it was obvious to Carolyn. It was a memorial.

"I see you understand." He nodded. "It was our little graveyard of memories. Sure, our dead comrades would sometimes get a burial or maybe only a headstone, but none of those people who would look upon them would ever know what they had died for. Slowly, this little room's walls were filling up with photos and name plates of those who gave their lives in our secret war. Nobody really spoke about it but our memorial was an open secret on base and people welcomed it. For to be forgotten is one of the worst fates and we would always remember their sacrifice."

The silence stretched until she hesitantly, quietly asked. "How did it change to this?" She gestured around, now seeing the magnificent room in another light.

"We made friends." He smiled and it lit up his whole face, chasing away the shadows that had fallen upon him. "The first were the Tok'ra. After the first Tau'ri-Tok'ra Treaty a very dear friend and ally died. We knew him well and Sam asked permission from High Councilor Persus to add Martouf's name to the wall. Naturally, he was curious about it. You see, the Tok'ra is a group, who has to change bases almost regularly. They cannot stay at one place and so they have no memorials. Needless to say, Persus was wholeheartedly behind the idea of adding Martouf's name to the wall, especially as the request came from Sam."

Carolyn nodded. Although she had not been here too long, she had already read up on some of the most important personnel on base. Colonel Carter's possession by the Tok'ra Jolinar was not often spoken about, but all of them knew that it had happened. The repercussions of those two days had fascinated many doctors, Carolyn included, though she shuddered at the thought of being taken as a host, even by a symbiotic Tok'ra.

"When Persus saw this room, he proposed the use of Tok'ra crystals to make it bigger. We took him up on the offer and we got this. This room is on an even lower level than the stargate room but not on the base blueprints. A lot of new people don't know about it, unless someone shows them."

"And why did you show me?"

"Because I think that this can help you." He walked towards the huge black obelisk and caressed a little rune engraved in it. It was almost unnoticeable but still clearly visible. At once, some kind of console appeared in the polished stone. The controls were in English and Carolyn looked on curiously as Daniel typed in the name of Dr. Janet Fraiser. A hum spread across the room and one of the little firefly orbs gently floated towards them, finally stopping in front of Daniel. He took the orb and walked over to one of the little niches between the pools of water and flowery greens. They were not visible from the entrance, as they were in a depression, hidden from prying eyes. "Sit." She sat.

"After the Tok'ra, we met others. The Tollan, the Nox, the Jaffa, the Asgard. Many of them came to be our friends and all of them wanted to contribute to this place of remembrance. The Nox, Lya in particular, after being incommunicado, had opened relations with us some time after Klorel's trial. They are to thank for the flowers and the little waterfalls. The Asgard helped, too, when our treaty with them was fully established. They were the ones who are responsible for the holograms, the obelisk and some of the other technology. From here we can also contact them through one of those." Daniel motioned to one of the engraved stones in one of the water pools. "The Jaffa helped in procuring the crystals and finally a few of the Tollans who survived the end of their homeworld helped with these." He opened his hand, showing the orb of light to her.

It was beautiful, swirling with colors and giving off a strange warmth.

"The Tollans", Daniel continued, "had the technology to capture emotions. When we finally understood more of crystal technology, Sam with the help of some others made these. They capture the essence of a person, their feelings and the feelings others have for them. Some put even a few memories and pictures into them. This way they would never be forgotten. The orbs can be viewed and experienced, if you lay the orb into one of these little hollows." He motioned to the indentions in front of him.

Awe filled her. That kind of power was unbelievable, for what was more powerful than emotions?

"But isn't that something too private?"

"No. The people who did this knew that everything would be open to others. Some refrained from letting it capture their emotions or essence but many wanted to be remembered like this. Someday the stargate will become public knowledge. We will either be vilified or stylized as heroes. Neither is something that most of us want. These orbs will also only give as much of themselves, as they deem necessary. Not everyone can access all of the feelings or memories that are stored in them, so don't feel bad about this."

He stood up again and she followed him back to the obelisk. With another few commands the ceiling of the room lit up, displaying the three galaxies that the Tau'ri had visited. Some of the most dominant colors of the stars were blue or red but there were others also.

"This is a representation of the galaxy as it now is. With this console you can access the history of our exploration of the universe and many other things like battles and who controls which territory. When I look at this, I see what I am fighting for. Many worlds are now free due to our intervention. The Replicators are destroyed, the Asgard safe. We are not only fighting for us. Many on these walls are Asgard or Tok'ra or Jaffa, who sacrificed themselves for the freedom of the galaxy. And they thought it was worth it. Now you must decide if what you're doing is worthwhile, too." He gently squeezed her shoulders and quietly left the room.

She stood there many minutes, motionless like a statue, unsure of what to do. This was something she had never thought to find here. But when she thought more about it, it was not so surprising. One of the most potent of human fears was to be forgotten, to not leave a sign of their existence behind. Was it so farfetched that the SGC with all of its allies and technology would build something like this? And where would they build it, if not here?

There was only one thing to decide, she mused. Was she going to experience what was in the orb of one Dr. Janet Fraiser? Even a year after her death, Carolyn heard many good things about her. Most of the older SGC personnel had held a deep respect for the petite doctor. She had apparently been a good person and an even better friend, if the stories held true. And she had been in the same situation as Carolyn. The CMO of Stargate Command. How had it been like to treat illnesses and wounds that she had never seen before? Thanks to the work of Dr. Fraiser they now had if not a complete, then at least a comprehensible guide to off-world injuries and alien medicines.

With a steadying breath she moved over to the viewing niches, sat down and put the orb into the little hollow, her fingers trembling.

Perhaps this was what she needed. Dr. Daniel Jackson had shown her what she was fighting for. Dr. Janet Fraiser would help her understand how to do it.

* * *

Author's Note: So, how did you like it? When I first began writing I had a vague idea where I wanted to go with this but then it just poured out. I hope I made the Memorial plausible and real. I'd like to think that the SGC would have liked something like this.


	4. Chapter 4

SUMMARY: Of course they would have done it. They would follow him to hell, back and beyond. After all, they had done it before.

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions.

I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).

* * *

He should have seen the signs. He didn't. The briefing had been filled with an angry tension but that was to be expected. Their faces had been set in stone but their eyes had flashed with the fire of retribution. When he had dismissed the team, Colonel Carter had saluted him smartly, her body ramrod straight, the perfect picture of an Air Force officer, and promptly excused herself, her two teammates Teal'c and Dr. Jackson following swiftly.

It wasn't a pleasant situation, not by a long way. The whole base knew about it and was careful to not provoke the caged tigers that SG-1 had become. Now, in the wake of their actions, he believed that many of his subordinates had at least suspected what it would come down to. The team was known to be deeply loyal to each other, more so than any other he had under his command. Even after leaving the team to pursue the position of Head of Homeworld Security, Jack O'Neill had always remained the leader of SG-1, a part of their exclusive little family. He had read the mission reports and those of the base psychiatrist, so he was not blind to the bonds that governed them.

_The social dynamics between the members of SG-1 have more in common with those of wolf packs._

_The members are extremely loyal to each other to the point of only trusting the team. Outsiders or those who threaten the team are considered a risk and not to be trusted. Aggressive defensive actions are to be expected._

_The bonds of SG-1 make them nearly completely dependent on each other._

Hank Landry had seen his fair share of special ops teams in his long career in the Air Force and even he had acknowledged that the ties between SG-1 were some of the strongest he had ever encountered. The psychiatric reports had not concerned him initially. What team of people who went to other planets and fought aliens wouldn't be close? It was expected that they would form strong attachments to each other. Normal, even.

So why had he been surprised when they had run through the gate to rescue General Jack O'Neill? Had he thought that they wouldn't do it, would not try to find a way off-world? Even after several months in his position, it seemed that he still didn't know everything about his teams. He wondered if they would come back alive.

It had started as a really good day. There had been no huge crises in the galaxy. The Tok'ra reported no suspicious activities from the System Lords. The Jaffa were well on their way to being a democracy and helping the Tau'ri with the acquisition of ships for their fleet. And the Asgard had just delivered the promised new weapons systems for the Andromeda and Cassiopeia. The Head of Homeworld Security had been invited to a nice political gathering of one of their long standing allies and the party was well on its way to being entertaining, when the Jaffa of this new Goa'uld showed up, capturing almost everyone and taking them away. It was pure luck that one of their men had been able to escape, reporting the address he had seen their people taken to. An address that was not unfamiliar to the Tau'ri but known as a heavily fortified Goa'uld base that had once belonged to Anubis. His refusal to send Colonel Carter, Dr. Jackson and Teal'c on a rescue mission that spelled certain death to all involved had not been taken well.

_"Yes, sir!" Carter snapped a smart salute and turned, walking briskly out of the room, anger and disappointment radiating from her. Her two fellow teammates followed her, their expressions frustrated and mad._

_Hank looked down at Mitchell, the only one who had not raced from the room. He looked concerned, true, but not nearly as much as the rest of SG-1. It was understandable, of course. He had not been part of the team for eight years and did not hold a true attachment to one General Jack O'Neill._

_Hank sighed bitterly. It was going to be a long day. Hopefully it would get better._

But it had not gotten better. Nobody had seen the three members of SG-1 the rest of the day. There were rumors, of course, that they had barricaded themselves in Colonel Carter's lab, not allowing anyone entrance. He had let them, hoping that after blowing off steam they would return to normal. Hank didn't like leaving General O'Neill, who was an old friend, behind but he simply couldn't risk his people for the off-chance of rescuing him, even knowing that almost every person in the SGC would volunteer for the mission.

After hours of calm and quiet and no solution that could help them rescue Jack, he had thought SG-1 to be less angry. He hadn't counted on the crazy determination that had always been part of that team.

At precisely 0300 hours, when the base was as deserted as it could get, an alarm sounded through the SGC. He had still been on base, allowing himself the luxury of some pie and coffee in the mess hall, when all hell broke loose.

Level twenty-eight had been in complete lockdown. When Siler and his technicians had finally managed to break through to the control room, the sight before them was of unconscious gate technicians and guards and the three original members of SG-1 in front of the active stargate, fully decked out in black clothing and armed to the teeth.

It was clear what they wanted to do.

"Shut the gate down!" He had yelled but nothing could have been done. It figured that the one person who had developed almost all of the security for the gate was also the one person who had managed to shut everything down, thus not letting him control anything.

Helplessly he had met the icy blue eyes of Colonel Samantha Carter and now he recognized the glint in them from before. The only difference was that he now knew what it meant. She was determined to rescue him, come hell or high water and she was obviously well aware that it could mean her death. Determination and the will to succeed stared out at him and in this moment he was certain that if Jack O'Neill didn't come back, she wouldn't come back too.

Her emotions were mirrored in the faces of her two teammates and it was with resignation and a feeling of helplessness that he looked on as the remaining members of the original SG-1 followed their leader into hell. Again.

* * *

It had been two weeks now since the three had disappeared through the gate. Ten minutes after their departure the gate systems were back to normal and SG-3 were sent after them. It was not long until they reported back, saying that SG-1 had apparently started gate-hopping to wherever they thought they needed to go before attempting a rescue. The only thing that remained was waiting for them to turn up again.

And that was what Hank did. He waited and observed and wondered. It was strange that the atmosphere on base was not only fear or concern for their missing people, but a peculiar kind of hope and euphoria. Hank didn't quite know what to make of it. It was as if they didn't believe that SG-1 could fail. During the first week of waiting many stories of the original SG-1's escapades started circulating. Though he had read the reports, he knew military people well enough that it was evident that not everything would be mentioned in those. So it was with a kind of guilty pleasure that he overheard some of these stories.

_"You really think that they will rescue the General?" The disbelieving quality of the voice garnered a firm response._

_"Of course!" The other voice replied with certainty. "They're SG-1! And I don't mean the watered down version with Mitchell at the helm!" The voice snorted. "You weren't here during the first years, when we still had General Hammond or O'Neill here. It was different, I tell you. There were rescues and solutions that SG-1 pulled out of their asses that saved everyone and in the end they never lost a member!"_

_"But it's suicide to go to that planet! I heard that it was one of Anubis' strongholds. It's impossible to penetrate or to get someone out of there!" The other argued back._

_"You don't understand, man!" Exasperation and annoyance sounded clear in the first voice. "We don't leave people behind! That's the creed of the SGC! You newbies don't understand what it's like. Now that most of the System Lords aren't a problem anymore, the galaxy's a lot safer than it has been in millennia! You don't face the kind of dangers we did. We go after our people and bring them back, dead, alive or ascended! And SG-1 is another story entirely!"_

_"Come on! What's so special about them?"_

_"Other than them saving the world a few times? Dr. Jackson was the one who opened the gate! Teal'c is like one of the greatest warriors there is! He freed his whole people from enslavement. And Colonel Carter is the successor of O'Neill and all-round genius!"_

_"What about Mitchell?"_

_"The hotshot pilot guy? What about him? Sure, they say he has official command but come on! Everyone knows that Jackson and Teal'c wouldn't follow him, if Carter didn't enforce his decisions! They wouldn't trust a newbie as lead, especially with Carter on the team! And you can bet that they're going to get O'Neill back. He's like a brother to Jackson and Teal'c, and Carter, well,…"_

_"Well what?"_

_"You mean you don't know about the betting pools? Buddy, you don't know anything! It's like the oldest and largest betting pool on base! There are rumors, of course, that Carter and O'Neill finally got together after she got out of his chain of command and into Area 51 but nothing certain. I bet only Teal'c and Jackson know. But you can bet your ass that there's something between them."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"It's the stuff of legends, my friend! Like, there's rumors that four years ago during the signing of the first Tok'ra-Tau'ri treaty, there was an assassin on base and the Tok'ra tested everyone with one of their alien gadgets and it told them that O'Neill and Carter were programmed by the Goa'uld to assassinate someone."_

_"No way!"_

_"Yeah. There was only the chance of being put in a coma for an undetermined amount of time until they knew how to get the programming out or trying this really dangerous procedure that could result in irreparable brain damage."_

_"So what happened?"_

_"O'Neill decided to do the procedure. A friend of mine, Steve, said that he told Doc Fraiser that if he died the autopsy would perhaps help Carter. Of course, when she heard about it she almost didn't let him go. There was real anguish on her face, I tell you. That's not something you can fake so easily."_

_"So, did he go through with it?"_

_"No. Carter prevented him from doing it. Apparently, drugged out of her mind she realized that they had somehow lied."_

_"Lied?"_

_"Yeah. Nancy, one of the nurses, who helped Doc Fraiser with the sedation, told me. They didn't even know they lied. In the end they were retested and although nobody but Doc Fraiser and SG-1 were present for it, there were still the video tapes and I got contacts. Oh, it was really bittersweet. A few weeks before the treaty, they did a shared experiment with some alien armbands the Tok'ra brought with them. I remember it very well. These armbands gave them immense powers. They were faster and stronger. Imagine Superman."_

_"Wow."_

_"Yeah, wow. Then there was information about some new ship of Apophis that would almost certainly be a real danger to Earth. They wanted to go and destroy it but Hammond wouldn't let them. The planet the ship was on was heavily fortified, a little bit like the place O'Neill is now in, but they still went. The problem was that somehow the armbands suddenly ceased to function in the middle of the mission. They both were unconscious for some time and that's why the Tok'ra thought that they could have been manipulated during that period, so they asked about the mission. Carter was stuck behind a force field and O'Neill was on the other side. O'Neill could have escaped but Carter couldn't. The Tok'ra alien gadget thought they lied because they left something out."_

_"What was it?" The voice asked, awed and excited. It was a dramatic story, full of danger and sacrifice. Even Hank, who had still not been discovered by these two, listened with interest._

_"So they are stuck behind the force field and Anise – that is the Tok'ra chick – asks O'Neill how he felt and he first answers with some bullshit about someone who was about to die." The voice snorted. "But then…he said something that made it apparent to every last person on base that they had something. He said: "__I __didn't leave 'cause I'd rather die myself, than lose Carter… Because I care about her, a lot more then I'm supposed to.""_

_"That's heavy. Wow, just wow! And they did nothing about this?"_

_"Yeah, apparently not. And you know what Carter said, when they retested her? She said that she knew and understood why he wouldn't leave and that had their situations been reversed, she wouldn't have left as well. Because she cared about him too."_

_The heavy silence that followed was finally broken when the second voice stated with awe._

_"That's really something. So for the next few years they didn't do anything about it? I mean, that's as close as you can get to a declaration of love without saying it!"_

_"As far as the base can tell, no. She even had a fiancé for quite some time before she dumped him, if I heard correctly. But my point is that if someone can get O'Neill back, then it's Carter and the other two. She won't leave him behind, because she'd rather die herself and I can promise you that she would, too. You haven't been here long enough to see what crazy things Carter can do, if there's no other way. She's a genius but a crazy and in love genius, not to mention O'Neill's protégé. I heard that he's taught her all of his special ops skills from some marines in SG-7, who once saw them. You should have seen her with the clone situation two years ago, as well, and what crazy stunt she pulled to not leave the clone of O'Neill behind. What I mean is: They won't leave him behind and it was clear from the get go that they would go after him, with or without Landry's blessing. General Hammond would have probably seen it in their eyes but Landry's not been here long enough to do so. Not that it would have made any difference. Hammond was intelligent enough to know, when he was fighting a losing battle."_

The story made a large impact on his perspective on things SG-1. For the first few weeks, he had been concerned with the team dynamics of his premier team. Somehow it had seemed that although Mitchell was the official commander, the other two clearly deferred to Carter. He had often contemplated if he had made the right choice and this little story only strengthened his doubts. Of course, he also hadn't known about the possible relationship of Carter and O'Neill. This changed the situation almost completely.

He really could only hope that they would make it back. In the meantime, he had his hands full with a sulking Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell. The man had not known about the plans of his three team members and was obviously insulted that they had not wanted him along. Sometimes, Hank mused, I really wonder if I made a mistake. Mitchell was a good soldier and a good man. For a flyboy he was even decent on the ground. Still, perhaps it had been a mistake to allow him onto SG-1. While Mitchell would have definitely made a good addition to any SG unit, his position on SG-1 had only given him a dangerous overconfidence. The problem, Hank thought, was that Mitchell hero-worshipped SG-1 and had now elevated himself to their position, thinking that he was invulnerable. And while the original SG-1 were truly heroes, it was clear that they knew the risks and thought of themselves as humans, as such knowing where their faults lay. Mitchell, sadly, didn't have that and Hank feared – and this fear was ever growing, especially in the last few weeks – that the young man would get himself killed or, worse, get one of his teammates killed. Perhaps it was really time to consider alternatives.

Suddenly, his thoughts were disrupted, when the alarms began blaring.

"Unscheduled off-world activation! Unscheduled off-world activation!"

He quickly made his way into the control room.

"It's SG-1's code, General! And they're coming in hot!"

"Open the iris! Defense teams to the gate room!"

"Yes sir!"

The iris opened and the shimmering blue event horizon of the stargate was revealed. Only seconds afterwards four figures stumbled through, falling onto the metal ramp, two to the sides and one on top of the other.

"Close the iris!" The voice of Colonel Carter yelled and the technicians obeyed even before Hank could say anything.

His feet led him to the gate room below, the defense teams having stood down and watching the four people. All of them were dirty and bloody. Teal'c and Dr. Jackson were sitting up, exhaustion and relief on their faces as they looked at the pair in the middle. The heavy body of General Jack O'Neill had landed painfully on top of Colonel Sam Carter. Blood seeped from a gash on his forehead and Hank could clearly see the ripped clothing. Whatever they had been through, it had been an ordeal.

"That was good timing!" The wry voice of O'Neill exclaimed.

"Option four, sir!" She grinned back and all of SG-1 grinned with her at the inside joke.

"I knew you would get me out." The statement was delivered in a calm, confident voice and Hank was for a moment ashamed that he had doubted them.

"We leave nobody behind." Dr. Jackson stated.

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed.

"And we couldn't let you have all the fun taunting the snake-head." She giggled slightly.

"What did I say about giggling, Carter?" Even though it was a reprimand, his voice was light and his smile was big. Without warning he leaned forward and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. A soft moan escaped her and both of them were gone for good, not hearing or perhaps not acknowledging the sudden cheering of the people in the gate and control rooms. Hank had no doubt that this confirmation of the rumors about O'Neill and Carter would make it around the base like fire. Still, after a few minutes waiting, they still didn't seem to want to end their passionate embrace.

"Guys!" Dr. Jackson coughed.

"O'Neill, Colonel Carter! Daniel Jackson and I believe that it would be prudent to postpone the expression of your affections for another time."

Sheepishly, they separated and their two team members helped them to their feet. SG-1 stood in front of him, calm, confident and grinning. It was the first time he had seen them like that and he suddenly realized that nobody could ever take the place of Jack O'Neill on SG-1. They could try but it wouldn't be the same.

"Well," he coughed, "it seems like you're back. The debriefing can wait until after the medical check-up and the showers." With that he turned around. It would do no good having the argument in the gate room. There would be some consequences for disobeying him but they wouldn't be severe. SG-1 was far too popular for that.

As he began walking away, he heard the questioning voice of Cameron Mitchell, who had arrived sometimes after him.

"Why didn't you take me with you?"

The somewhat amused and indulging voice of Colonel Carter answered him.

"Don't take it personally, Cam, but this was family business."

And that's what SG-1 was, when it came down to it: a family.

* * *

Author's Note: So, how did you like it? I just kind of got the idea and it's a welcome little distraction from my other story, the New Lantean Chronicles. I hope I showed some interesting introspectives. The bit about Upgrades and Broca Divide just slipped in and I finally had some S/J in it. I think they would have liked coming out like that, in the middle of the gate room after escaping certain death.


	5. Chapter 5

SUMMARY: He shouldn't have been surprised by anything coming out of O'Neill's mouth.

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions.

* * *

In the end, President Henry Hayes admitted quietly to himself, it was probably a good thing that he had followed Hammond's advice and had only made O'Neill do the job of Head of Homeworld Security for the two months General Hammond himself took a well deserved vacation.

Now that O'Neill was present in Washington, he used this little pit stop gathering support for the Beta and Gamma Sites. And from the sound of things, Henry had only had a taste of what could have been, had he insisted on the permanent placement of the irreverent General in D.C..

While O'Neill had been commander of the SGC, Henry hadn't had a lot of contact with him. Most of the problems had quickly solved themselves or had been brought to his attention by General Hammond. But during the time that O'Neill was present in Washington, Henry had discovered one very important fact.

There were exactly two kinds of people in D.C. – and probably in the galaxy as well.

The first kind were those who hated O'Neill somewhat fiercely and would have liked to see him fall dead to the floor – even kill him themselves, if they had been able to. A prominent example of this species had been Kinsey, many, many Russians and probably all of Earth's galactic enemies, who had traded words with the General.

Then there was the second kind. Those were the ones who loved Jack O'Neill to bits. Strangely enough, this included the majority of Earth's alien allies. The Asgard, in particular, seemed to be quite taken with him, though Henry didn't really understand how such intelligent beings – who, if he had heard right even thought Colonel Carter's ideas to be _dumb_! – could put up with Jack O'Neill.

So it was always an adventure to be meeting with General O'Neill. Something always happened, whether it was O'Neill telling him about new developments on the galactic front or one of his remarks being particularly entertaining.

It was the reason why Henry watched with quiet indulgence Jack O'Neill strolling casually into the Oval Office, as if he owned the place. Despite what many thought, O'Neill's mostly joking and sarcastic exterior hid a very sharp and precise mind. It was something Henry had learned to appreciate.

"Do I even want to know, why you are in such a good mood? We already granted you your Gamma Site project and the post of Commander of the Tau'ri Fleet." The President asked when his general finally seated himself. Henry was very disturbed, when he discovered the grin on O'Neill's face that only seemed to widen with every word spoken.

Taking a sip of water to have something to do, while his general prepared to answer him, he almost choked when he heard the next words coming out of O'Neill's mouth.

"Carter and I are getting hitched." The unspoken _to each other_ was left out, but understood immediately. Still, the statement was made with such a besotted expression and a certain look that said `Hah! Take that!`, that the meaning behind the words didn't register for a few moments.

When it finally did, he prided himself for reacting with the dignity his station demanded.

"YOU ARE WHAT?"

The general stuffed his hands into his pockets, the grin now full blown on his face.

"Getting married to Carter. You know, bonded? Till death do us part?" He continued asking, before suddenly turning thoughtful. "Although that last part does not really apply, now does it? I've been dead lots of times and it's never been the end, so…Till ascension do us part?" He continued musing, not seeing Henry's reaction to his words.

Henry, on the other hand, took some deep breaths and then rubbed his eyes tiredly. There had been rumors about those two, which had even reached the White House. He didn't know, if he should be afraid of what that union could bring or not.

"We want Thor to officiate." The general continued nonchalantly, as if the wish was something normal.

Henry decided to settle on being afraid.

* * *

In the end, it seemed that Jack O'Neill had not been kidding, when he said that they wanted Thor to officiate.

The ceremony, a strange mixture of what he was told was Earth, Asgard, Nox and Ancient traditions, had been equally beautiful and unfamiliar. Part of it, Henry mused, was probably the location of the ceremony.

Due to the huge guest list, which included many off-world allies – it seemed that SG-1 had many, many friends in the galaxy –, it was deemed impossible for Carter and O'Neill to be married on Earth. The gate room in the SGC was simply too small for all of them to fit in. And there were a lot of people.

This was a day of many firsts for him. Not only was he in space for the first time, but he was also meeting many of the allies he had only heard about. The guests were all wearing colorful and obviously expensive clothing, some of which ranged from extravagant gowns to very skimpy togas. It was a crazy day that still hadn't ended.

Apparently, the wedding of two members of SG-1 – especially that of the legendary O'Neill and Carter – was the intergalactic shindig of the year, if not the millennia. Henry was simply glad that one of Jackson's new diplomatic corps personnel from the Beta Site was always only a step behind him, murmuring the names and races to him as he met the people.

Still, the little respite he got after suffering twenty minutes with the Langaran diplomat sent by his homeworld, he felt that he deserved it. Staring out at the endlessness of space and the glowing blue jewel that was Earth was a strange and heady feeling. Thor, as a personal favor to O'Neill and Carter, had allowed the ceremony to take place on one of the newest Asgard ships, which was now in a geosynchronous orbit around Earth.

He had never dreamed that something like this was possible. In the beginning, when he had first heard about the SGC and all it did, he hadn't wanted to believe it. It had sounded so alien, for the lack of a better word, that the reality that was the stargate, the enemies and friends they had made out here, had never truly settled in. Now it had.

How these people did this without a complete mental breakdown, Henry didn't know. He had said as much to Kinsey and Woolsey, when they had first informed him of the SGC. But they did it obviously so well, that he had only heard glowing praise heaved upon them in the last two hours from various sources.

The strangest had been Thor.

At first, he didn't know how to go about speaking with the Supreme Commander. This was his first true alien! Sure, he had stared down Anubis, but that had been some kind of figure in a hooded coat! This was a honest-to-god Roswell grey!

"Your people are truly blessed with this union, President Hayes." The small alien had stated in his monotonous voice. "The Asgard are most anxious to see the results of it."

"The results?"

"Of course." The little being said. "We have waited a long time for this moment to come. The Fifth Race has finally taken one of the last steps towards the next evolutionary form."

With this ominous statement Thor walked away, leaving Henry to ponder what had been said. He wasn't sure how to take Thor's words, truth be told. Did Thor mean that the children of Carter and O'Neill were somehow important to the Asgard?

Shaking his head, he decided to head over to the most important people this evening. For the last two hours the newly married couple had been literary swamped with well-wishers and friends, not getting any breathing room. Now, the crowd seemed to have thinned a little bit, allowing him to finally make his way over and congratulate the pair.

As he neared, he heard the unmistakable voice of a Tok'ra. He had only met the Tok'ra once to renew the Tok'ra-Tau'ri treaty and he readily admitted that he had been freaked out by the strange voice and the glowing eyes.

"Your father and Selmak would have been very pleased for you, Colonel Carter. They spoke of General O'Neill often and with respect."

"Thank you, High Councilor." Replied the Colonel. She was leaning back against O'Neill, one of his arms around her, and looked truly content and happy.

It was then that they finally noticed him, Colonel Carter and General O'Neill automatically straightening.

"Congratulations!" Henry exclaimed.

"Thank you, sir." Both answered together, then exchanged sheepish smiles and introduced him to the Tok'ra, Persus, who quickly excused himself. He had apparently been the one, who had first signed the Tok'ra-Tau'ri treaty on behalf of his people.

"So, where will you have your honeymoon?" He asked with an interest that increased even more, when they exchanged a look.

"Well, sir." Drawled O'Neill. "I just know this little uninhabited planet with endless beaches, clear water and, of course, very big fish." He grinned down at his wife, when he said the last part, getting an equally bright smile in return. An inside joke, Henry thought, though he probably wouldn't want to know.

It figured that O'Neill would be the one who discovered a tropical paradise, Henry thought enviously.

"And how are you getting there? By the stargate, I presume?"

"I believe I can answer that, President Hayes." The voice of Thor interrupted their conversation, making Henry almost jump. In contrast to his reaction, O'Neill's grin only widened, if that was possible.

"Thor! Buddy!" He greeted the Asgard with enthusiasm, while Colonel Carter bent down and carefully hugged Thor.

Henry knew that he was staring and quickly admonished himself. It was not alright to stare at his subordinates, not even when mentioned subordinates were hugging a little grey alien that commanded the most powerful fleet in three galaxies.

"I am most pleased with your union, O'Neill and Colonel Carter." It was obviously his way of saying `congratulations`. "The Asgard have heard about your plans of building a strong fleet to bolster your presence in this galaxy and of your post as Commander of the Tau'ri Fleet." He continued and somehow, though his expression remained the same – not that Henry could tell if it had changed –, it seemed more satisfied. "Daniel Jackson informed me that it was tradition for the guests to give the newly married couple a wedding present."

Thor walked to a console, shifted some strange looking white stones on it and motioned them to follow him. They left the party behind and wandered into a small room with a window looking out into space. Earth could be seen clearly from here, but it was not the only thing there.

Not far from the Asgard ship another had appeared. Sleek and deadly-looking, it was both a compelling mixture of elegance and danger. As large as a Beliskner-class ship – Henry had seen pictures of the Asgard behemoths – and colored silvery-white, it was truly a magnificent sight. On its side a symbol that Henry recognized as the SGC logo was clearly seen and the words `Jacob Carter` shimmered proudly on its surface.

A small gasp from his side made him turn his head, catching the bride covering her mouth with a hand in astonishment, her eyes wide and disbelieving. Glancing at O'Neill, he noticed that the same stunned look had appeared on his face.

Henry, of course, could guess what this meant, but he didn't want to speculate in case he was wrong.

"This is the _Jacob Carter_, built with the newest of Asgard technology but adapted to a more Tau'ri and Alteran design. In her belly is a smaller ship, christened the _Selmak_. It was constructed for scouting and undercover missions, while the _Jacob Carter_ is a heavy cruiser."

Thor's explanation was calm and monotonous, not sounding anything like he had just given them a present that was full of Asgard technology and would be a tremendous help to the new Tau'ri Fleet.

"So you…" O'Neill trailed off.

"It is our wedding present to you and Colonel Carter, O'Neill. With the immergence of the Tau'ri Fleet, you will truly take your rightful place as the Fifth Race. The Asgard will count on you to fulfill your responsibility as one of the Great Races." He said, then continued more softly. "SG-1 and the Tau'ri have saved the Asgard from annihilation by the Replicators. Had it not been for you, we would have perished. To see you happy brings me and the Asgard great joy."

"Thank you, my friend." O'Neill stated solemnly, clearly touched by the little alien's words.

"Thank you, Thor." Carter added softly.

"You are my friends." Thor continued, as if that explained everything and maybe it did. Henry had not been really aware of it, but despite the Asgards' alien looks, it seemed that most of them, and Thor especially, regarded the humans of Earth as friends. And it was a precious friendship. "The Tau'ri are brothers to the Asgard in spirit. Together we will make this galaxy safe again."

No matter how crazy the life of those at the SGC seemed, Henry recognized now, that it was a life that they cherished. Today, he had gotten another perspective. O'Neill, SG-1 and all the others were not just heroes – though they were that also – but they were people who lived their lives with joy, grief, pain, anger and happiness. Just because some parts of their lives were different, didn't mean that they weren't fulfilling. It was a strange epiphany that had crept upon the President of the United States. Before, he had read the mission reports and marveled at all the impossible, wondrous things in them. It had never been truly real, not even when Anubis had attacked. Now it was.

Staring at the beautiful ships drifting in space, guarding Earth, Henry felt that he had just witnessed the start of another era. This day had truly become historic. It seemed that Thor was right. Here, on an alien ship, celebrating the wedding of two of his subordinates with various intergalactic ambassadors and allies, with no threat to Earth present, Henry felt that Earth was on her way to greatness.

Perhaps it would not happen while he was president, but someday the people of Earth would know about those who protected them in the stars and in the history books this day would always be remembered.

Two great heroes were bound together after long and painful years of separation, while two other great heroes, who had sacrificed themselves for the safety of the galaxy, would guard and protect it again.

Somehow, Henry thought that Jacob Carter and Selmak would be pleased with how things turned out.

* * *

Author's Note: So a little tribute to Jacob and Selmak and a little bit of Hayes' POV. I hope it turned out interesting. I liked writing this one and Thor is just the best, don't you think so? Drop me a line and tell me how you liked it.


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